New burp and slough-in events reported at Louisiana sinkhole

Assumption Parish Police Jury reported a new slough-in event near Pad #3 at Louisiana sinkhole on March 31, 2014 as Texas Brine Co. released pressure from its failed salt dome cavern near the sinkhole.

The latest slough-in event came five days after six trees in the same area were pulled in the water on March 26th. Texas Brine was also releasing pressure from the cavern around the same time. A slight odor of hydrocarbons was reported in the Bayou Corne community. ​Seismic monitoring on March 27th indicated a low levels of subsurface activity near sinkhole/Oxy 3 following Wednesday sloughing event (this is a regular occurrence).

State regulators said they are trying to determine to what extent reducing pressure in the cavern is linked to recent slough-ins.

The following video shows slough-in event that occurred off of Pad 3 on March 31:

Video courtesy of Assumption Parish Police Jury

​Another flyover video was recorded the same day:

Video courtesy of Assumption Parish Police Jury

A new bubbling site was discovered on February 24, 2014 near the massive sinkhole. Officials said the new bubbling site was about 400 m (1/4 mile) north of the Gator Corner.

The Louisiana sinkhole, also known as Bayou Corne sinkhole and Assumption sinkhole, was discovered in August 2012 when Napoleonville salt dome, a naturally-occurring underground salt deposit, suddenly collapsed after months of unexplained seismic activity and mysterious bubbling.

Since August 2012 the sinkhole grew from 1 to more than 25 acres (10 hectares or 100 000 square meters).

Bayou Corne sinkhole swallows six more trees

BAYOU CORNE — The 29-acre sinkhole in Assumption Parish swallowed six cypress trees Wednesday and had its first deep burp of gas and fluid since late August, parish officials said.

The event comes nearly two weeks to the hour after lead scientists investigating the sinkhole for state regulators said the hole seemed to be on the path to stabilizing.

The sinkhole slowly pulled down six trees about 3:45 p.m. Wednesday on the southwestern side of the lake-like hole, near an earthen well pad operated by Texas Brine Co.

“The trees went straight down this time,” said John Boudreaux, director of the parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

Hydrocarbons could be faintly smelled in the Bayou Corne community near the sinkhole, parish officials reported.

Boudreaux said the smell is likely from oil-saturated earth around the sinkhole being stirred up. At one time, the sinkhole was producing a crude-like fluid.

Boudreaux said the sinkhole edge collapse, known as a slough-in, followed Texas Brine’s efforts since Monday to reduce rising pressures in the failed salt dome cavern suspected of causing the sinkhole to form in August 2012.

The pressure-reduction efforts coincided with a rise in underground micro-earthquakes near the sinkhole that peaked Tuesday, Boudreaux said. The earthquakes have been said by scientists to be signals of shifting rock underground.

Boudreaux declined to speculate whether the pressure-reduction efforts and the slough-in were related, but scientists have said rock from outside the salt dome cavern is flowing into the damaged cavity and filling it.

Scientists believe the Texas Brine cavern was mined too closely to the outer face of the Napoleonville Dome, a massive salt deposit, and had a catastrophic wall collapse or breach that led to the sinkhole.